Feb 13, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Keshon Gilbert (10) holds the ball against Cincinnati Bearcats guard Simas Lukosius (41) in the second half at Fifth Third Arena. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
Iowa State finds itself in a rarefied spot more than halfway through the Big 12 season: Tied for first place.
The No. 10 Cyclones used an 18-2 run that spanned parts of both halves Tuesday at Cincinnati to help ensure that they’d secure a 68-59 win — their third conference road triumph of the season.
“You know you’re playing a good team on the road (and) they’re gonna throw their punches back, they’re gonna hit shots,” ISU head coach T.J. Otzelberger said on the Cyclone Radio Network after the game. “And it felt like every time that happened, we answered with a big basket or started to really share the ball and play for one another.”
ISU guards Tamin Lipsey and Curtis Jones led the Cyclones (19-5, 8-3) with 15 points apiece. Lipsey added three steals. Jones scored 12 of his points in the second half and has reached double figures in scoring in seven straight games despite coming off the bench.
It’s no coincidence, then, that the Cyclones have won six of seven games during that span to climb into a tie atop the league standings with No. 2 Houston.
“I think we’re very happy with where we are right now, but we want to stay happy, obviously,” said Jones, who drilled three of his six 3-point attempts. “So by staying happy, we’ll stay at the top of the (standings). Every game is a big game. We’ve gotta go 1-0 every game.”
If ISU’s able to do that — starting with a tough matchup with Texas Tech (18-6, 7-4) at 11 a.m. Saturday at Hilton Coliseum — the first regular-season Big 12 title since 2001 remains very much within the realm of possibility. It even veers into probable territory.
“We know it’s gonna be a hard-fought game on Saturday,” Otzelberger said. “We’re excited to be back in front of our great fans and have an awesome crowd and do this together. So (we’ll) get back to the practice court and keep working.”
The Cyclones led by as many as 16 points in the second half on Wednesday, but the Bearcats (15-9, 4-7) got hot from 3-point range and pulled within seven points twice in the final 1:22. ISU responded by going 5-for-6 from the free throw line in the closing moments to cement the win.
“When it gets to be a (somewhat) close game at the end of the game, we’re so connected, we just come together and we thrive off of that,” said Lipsey, who was perfect from the stripe (4-for-4) for just the fourth time this season.
ISU drained seven of its eight free throw attempts and forced 25 turnovers. The Cyclones turned those Cincinnati miscues into 26 points and despite being outrebounded, 38-24, they outscored the Bearcats 36-to-14 in the paint.
“I think offensively we continued to attack,” Otzelberger said. “Our guards are downhill. Our frontline guys finished plays and then down on the other end defensively, I felt like our intent was tremendous.”
Guard Keshon Gilbert and forward Robert Jones added 12 points each for ISU, which rose to eighth in the KenPom advanced metrics rankings. Jones went 6-for-7 from the field and grabbed a team-best six rebounds to help the Cyclones — especially early when the game was tight.
“We don’t really care who’s scoring the ball,” Curtis Jones said. “As long as we get a good shot, which most of the time we do, we’re happy with the result.”
